Starlight
by lilnewsie77
Summary: Redone! Everyone knew Spot Conlon was the leader of Brooklyn. Now, he has a twin sister who's the leader of the female brookies. Brooklyn is in the midst of a territory war with Harlem. What happens when Spot's sister is kidnapped and used against him?
1. The Beginning

Hi everyone. So I decided to redo Starlight because it wasn't getting the type of reviews I wanted and the writing wasn't really that good. So yeah! Please R & R!!!

The young man walked across the Brooklyn Bridge, staring out at the stars above the black waters he had come to know so well. His hat was down over his crystal blue eyes and a few strands of caramel colored hair fell over them. He held a cane in his hand, not using it to walk, but almost using it as if it were a symbol of his power. A silver key glinted on his neck. He walked with a certain gait, like he was the king of the world and he knew it. Well, to some he _was_ the king of the world. He was the King of Brooklyn at least. He continued walking but stopped as he reached the center of the bridge, pausing to take in a deep breath of the clean night air. A light wind whipped around him, blowing his hair even further across his eyes.

"Spot?"

He turned around, hearing a female's voice. His eyes were trying to adjust to the darkness so at first, all he could see was a petite form a few yards away. As his eyes adjusted, his lips formed a slight grin.

"Starlight," he responded, "what're ya doin' heah?" He didn't seem angry, simply curious.

"Well, I figured yous was headin' to 'Hattan so I decided ta join ya." She replied, returning the grin in a way that was similar to his.

Starlight was Spot's twin sister. Both were 17 years of age. She had the same blue eyes but her hair was a lighter honey-blonde. She was about as short as her brother but, like him, made up for it with her fighting skills. Starlight was the leader of the female Brooklyn newsies. She was extremely headstrong and slightly quick-tempered. She could take on any man in a fight and would usually come out on top. She had the same attitude and fierce leadership as her brother. She also wore an identical key around her neck.

"What, ya got business wit Cowboy?" Spot asked her.

"Sorta. I just wanna know where yous think this whole issue wit Harlem is goin'. Cuz, in case yous forgotten, my goils are gonna end up gettin' involved so I wanna know what Iz getting 'em intah."

"Arright. Let's go den."

They continued walking across the bridge side by side. They didn't talk much because they didn't need to. They had lived in a large apartment in Manhattan with their parents when they were much younger. They were part of the elite group in Manhattan, until a fire destroyed their home. They were later sent to live with their uncle. They thought he was nice at the time but he later became abusive. Spot left but always promised he would come back and get Starlight. Spot went to Brooklyn and became a newsie. Later, he was given the leadership of Brooklyn. He hadn't forgotten about Star and went back to get her. However, when he got back to their uncle's apartment, Star was no longer there. The apartment was empty and Spot learned from a neighbor that their uncle had been arrested long before. He gave up, believing that he would never see his sister again. Little did he know that Starlight had escaped before he could come and save her. She had run away to Queens where she met Shark, the leader of the Queens newsies. He had taken her in and she was the only female in their group of newsies. This was where she had learned to fight so well. One day, during the strike, Shark had gone to Spot to tell him that Queens had decided to join them. By this time, Starlight had become his second-in-command and therefore went along with him. She and Spot recognized each other but they couldn't place one another until they saw the key hanging around the other's neck. The two of them had taken the keys to their old apartment and put them on chains in order to remember what had been. They finally realized that they were brother and sister and Starlight went to live with Spot in Brooklyn. She never forgot the Queens newsies and Queens and Brooklyn had become allies.

Star was the leader of a reasonably large bunch of female newsies. Her best friend was Maggie, nicknamed "Ire" because of her Irish heritage. Maggie had a harsh Irish accent and was an even better fighter than Starlight. When you put the two together, Star was the brains, Maggie was the brawn, and they were an absolutely perfect match. Maggie was dating Kid Blink, a Manhattan newsie.

Starlight and Spot reached the Manhattan lodging house and knocked on the front door. The cool November breeze had picked up a bit and Starlight shivered, wishing she had worn her long jacket. Spot recognized this and put his arm around her in a brotherly way, pulling her close. Racetrack Higgens opened the front door and greeted them in his Italian accent. They quickly went inside, where it was considerably warmer. Star's eyes scanned the room. All of the Manhattan newsies were there, hanging around after a long day of selling. She picked out Ire from the bunch. She was sitting on Blink's lap. Star slipped out from under Spot's arm and went over, greeting Ire and Blink. She asked Blink where Jack was and he told her he was upstairs in the bunkroom waiting for them. Star went over and joined Spot and the pair went up the staircase. They turned a corner and opened the door to the bunkroom.

"Heya Spot, Star. How's it rollin'?" Jack asked them. He spit-shook with Spot and pulled Star in for a hug. She laughed as he spun her around before gently setting her down. She was used to being picked up because of her petite frame.

"So, Jacky-Boy. How's this whole situation wit Harlem goin'?" Spot asked, immediately getting down to business.

"Ah, Spot, ya know. No one else has gotten jumped since Flame." Flame was one of the few female newsies of Manhattan. Starlight was actually considered their leader too since their numbers were so small. Flame was now staying at the Brooklyn lodging house so Starlight could take care of her. A week before, Flame had been out selling when she was attacked by quite a few Harlem newsies. What bothered Star most wasn't that they attacked her, Flame could hold her own. Her issue was that they had raped her. Star had been the one who found Flame, her clothes ripped into pieces, cuts all over her body. Star had carried her back to Brooklyn, taking care of her every moment that she wasn't selling. This had been the deciding factor for Star in deciding to join the others in fighting against Harlem.

Star noticeably flinched at the name and Spot put his arm around her, calming her down.

"So, what're we gonna do 'bout 'em?" Starlight asked, her voice a little shaky and quite. Her thoughts were still with Flame.

"Well, we gotta figure out a bit more 'bout 'em before we go into an all out war wit 'em. We gotta talk ta the otha leadahs around heah. I say we sets up a meetin' wit 'em. See what dey wanna do and if dey'll join us." Spot told her.

Jack quickly agreed and told Spot to send a few of his "birdies" out to talk to the other leaders and then get back to him when they agreed to meet somewhere. He quickly said goodbye to both of them before walking over and talking to David and Mush. Star and Spot walked down the stairs and said goodbye to everyone. Star looked over at Ire as if to ask if she was coming home tonight. Ire shook her head and then smiled at Blink before kissing him on the lips. Star laughed a bit and waved goodbye to them both before following Spot out into the cool night air.

"Hey, Star, ya feelin' okay?" Spot asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Iz just worried, is all. Dey've only attacked Flame. What if dey decide to go afta one a' me otha goils."

"Den you'll be dere to protect 'em." Spot said before smiling at her and pulling her into a hug. They proceeded to walk across the Brooklyn Bride, heading home. They had no idea how wrong Spot really was.

Hope you guys all liked it!!! PLEASE R&R. IT MAKES ME UPDATE FASTER!!! THANKS!!!


	2. Shatter

Hi everyone! Well…I only got like 2 reviews but they still made me happy! Please R&R! Now, on with the next chapter!

Starlight strolled down the street, hawking her papers. It was a cool fall day. The sun was shining, the leaves were falling. Star walked over to a wealthy-looking couple and sold them her last pape of the day. She could finally head back to the docks to check on things. Spot and Jack had decided not to sell and instead holed up in the Brooklyn lodging house, going over plans and talking to other leaders about the coming war. Star also needed to talk to Ire about what was going to happen with them joining the war. They were planning on making their final decision today.

Star headed over the bridge. She usually liked to sell in Manhattan; one of the few Brooklyn newsies who did. Manhattan seemed a lot more peaceful and inviting. In Brooklyn, a girl ran the risk of getting attacked. Or worse, raped. Star stopped in the middle of the bridge and looked out over the water. She watched a few ships go by before continuing on her way.

A few minutes later Star met up with Ire and they walked together towards the lodging house.

"So, what're we gonna do 'bout dis war?" Ire asked.

"I says we go for it. We gotta get revenge foah what dey did to Flame. How's she doin' by da way?"

"She's gettin' bettah. Still a lil shaken up though. But aright, we's gonna go in dere and tell Spotty and Cowboy what's goin' on. We's in."

The pair walked into the lodging house and walked up the stairs, into the bunkroom. It was empty except for Spot and Jack. Both looked up as the girls entered the room. Starlight sat down next to Spot and Ire next to Jack.

"Aright, Spot, we're in." Star told him. Spot pulled her in for a hug.

"I knew I could count on ya, kid."

As they sat there talking, they heard the front door of the lodging house slam open. A young newsie, around the age of twelve, ran in panting. He looked up.

"What is it, Slider?"

"Kathryn, Ire, it's Melody."

Both girls stood up at the mention of the name Melody. Melody was only about eight years old. She was like a child to both of them.

"What's wrong with Melody?!" Star asked.

"She's getting' attacked by sum guys from Harlem. Down in one of the alleyways."

At that, both girls ran out of the lodging house at breakneck speed, following Slider. They ran past a few startled newsies before Slider finally turned a corner and skidded to a stop in a dirty alley. In the dim light, they could see a few large forms hitting a smaller one.

"Slider, run back to the lodging house and get Spot. Ire, you go with him."

"WHAT?! But…" Ire began to protest loudly.

"No. Ire, go with Slider. I can take them."

"But…"

"GO!"

Ire and Slider both ran down the street, back towards the lodging house. Starlight slowly approached the group of newsies. There were only about five or six of them so Star figured she could at least distract them until Spot came. What she didn't know is that they had been waiting for her. A boy, who looked around the age of 19, slowly turned around and faced her.

"Ah. If it isn't Starlight. We've been waiting for yah, sweetheart."

As he said those words, two of his larger newsies, who had been hiding in a doorway at the front of the alley, grabbed Starlight's arms and twisted them behind her back. She went to scream but quickly found a dirty rag tied to the front of her mouth. She felt strong rope being tied around her wrists. She kicked and fought as much as she could but eventually became too tired to do anything. She simply stood there, sagging in defeat. If only Ire and Slider would come back. But they wouldn't.

Then the leader of the pack walked over to Starlight. He slid a finger down her cheek, continuing to trace his was grotesquely down her body. He gave her a sneer.

"We're gonna have fun, aren't we, love? But foist, let's pay a visit to your deah old brother, shall we?"

Star felt herself being dragged through the doorway and into a dark warehouse. They waited there for a bit, watching. Sure enough, Ire and Slider returned, Spot in tow. They looked around in shock, finding the alley empty and not realizing that the enemy was right in front of them. Spot went over and picked up Melody, gathering her small frame in his arms. He then ran back to the lodging house, followed by the other two.

"Let's give 'em a lil surprise." The head newsie whispered in her ear. She finally recognized him. He was Shatter, the leader of the Harlem newsies. He was known for his anger and violence but mostly, he was known for the way he treated women. He was known for raping any girl he could get his hands on. Needless to say, Star was absolutely terrified.

And she had every right to be…

Hope you guys liked it! R&R PLEASE!


	3. Losing Hope

Alrighty! Sorry for the really long wait folks! I've been crazy busy! But I promise to update again by next week because that's when my school vacation starts. Wooooooo!!!! Now, on with the story!!!

"Spot! What happened?!" Jack yelled, noticing Spot walking towards him, Melody limp in his arms.

"She was attacked by Harlem. And now Starlight's gone."

"Gone?! Whaddaya mean "gone"?!"

"I'se pretty damn sure Harlem took 'er. Call every leader who was thinkin' of joining us. This is war."

"But…even Ryder?"

"Yeah…even Ryder. We need his help."

Ryder was the leader of the Staten Island newsies. He was always a bit overprotective of his boys and was reluctant to join in any territory wars not directly involving him. But he was the best fighter in all of New York. If you had Ryder and his boys on your side, you were almost guaranteed a win. Spot doubted Ryder would come but it was worth a try. Maybe if Jack mentioned Starlight was missing, he would help. Ryder seemed to have a thing for Star. Besides, Ryder was proof that chivalry was still alive and well. If there was a damsel in distress, he was the first to come running.

Staten Island

Jack highly doubted Ryder would help. Was Spot losing his mind? But he was worried about Starlight and knew he needed to try and get all the help they could get. He had some of Spot's "birdies" go find the other leaders but he decided to go find Ryder himself. He brought Race, Blink, and Mush in case things got tense. They arrived in Staten Island, right on the border of the territory. They were stopped briefly by two "guards". They looked pretty tough, but once they recognized Jack, they let them through without any trouble. Ryder was perched on the roof of the lodging house and jumped down when he saw them.

"Hey Jacky-Boy, How's it rollin'?"

He decided to get right down to business.

"Ryder, Spot and Brooklyn need yer help."

"Then why the hell ain't he standin' heah talkin' ta me?"

"One of his newsies is injured…"

"What am I supposed to do 'bout that, Cowboy?"

"…and Starlight is missin'." he concluded.

"WHAT?! What the hell happened?!"

"We're not sure but we think she was taken by Harlem."

Ryder took a while to think about it. He didn't plan to risk everything for one girl. But…and he didn't want to admit this out loud…Star wasn't just any girl. He felt strong feelings towards her. But his leadership instincts kicked in.

"I need ta think 'bout it."

"But Ryder…" Jack protested.

"Don't push me, Jack. You're lucky I'se even thinkin' 'bout it."

Jack gave up. He had tried, hadn't he?

"Alright, Ryder, just, please, hurry up and help. Starlight's life may depend on it."

Ryder watched him walk away, feeling a mix of regret, confusion, and terror. If Starlight was in the hands of Harlem, who knew what could happen to her? He couldn't bear to think about how it would be his fault if she got hurt. Besides, his boys were the best fighters in all of New York. They could handle themselves.

"Alright, bois. We's gonna help Brooklyn out. Grab every weapon ya got."

Brooklyn

Spot was sitting on a table in the middle of a room filled with leaders from various boroughs of New York. They all seemed to want to help. Most were a little reluctant at first but once Spot mention that Starlight was missing, they all joined in. Starlight was kind of like a celebrity in New York. Almost every newsie knew who she was. And they all got pretty damn angry when they heard what had probably happened to her. They were all trying to figure out a plan. Most of them had no idea what to do. Harlem was pretty tough. And they were all worried because Shatter wasn't there to help. Well, worried may have covered all the other newsies' feelings but Spot was flipping out. He knew they didn't stand a chance without Staten Island. They were no match for Harlem without them. They could all try their hardest and fight like there was no tomorrow, but they would all be doomed. Starlight would be dead. No, she'd be worse than dead. They would all probably be worse than dead. They would all be forced to live under Harlem's rule. Spot would probably lose Brooklyn and he was terrified. All hell would break loose if that happened. Spot was beginning to consider giving up and trying to work out some kind of deal with Harlem when the door burst open. Light flooded the room and someone stepped in.

"Ryder?! What're you doin' heah?" Spot practically jumped on top of the table when he saw who the dark figure in the doorway.

"We'se decided to come and help yer lil cause heah. Besides, I think we gots a goil ta save."

All the newsies cheered. Finally, they had a chance! They immediately got down to business, planning and working on the issues they would need to deal with. If they were going to war with Harlem, there were a few things to make sure of first. They needed to make sure they could win and that their territories were safe. But before they could get any further than a basic plan, a small newsie ran in. It was Slider again.

"Spot!" The small boy pushed through the crowd of older newsies to get to his leader.

"What is it, Slider?" Spot said worriedly. The boy had a frantic expression on his face.

"Spot, one of the leadahs in dis room is a spy!"

"Wait, what?! Who?!"

"I am, Spot." Killer sprang up from his chair. Killer was the leader of the Battery newsies. He had always been a friend of Spot's.

"Whaddayah mean, Killah?! Yer a traitah?!"

"Yupp. Pretty much, Spotty old boy."

Before Spot could attack Killer, at least a hundred newsies rushed in and began to fight with the others. Spot used his cane as his weapon and bashed a newsie in the head with it. He punched and fought with all his might but stopped when he heard a shrill whistle pierce the air. All fighting stopped and Spot was suddenly grabbed by the arms by two Harlem newsies. He, Ryder, and Jack were all brought to the center of the room. In the middle stood Shatter, notorious leader of Harlem. He laughed as the other leaders fought against their captors, all of them in the same position as Spot was.

"Why, hello Spot? How goes it?" Shatter mocked.

"What the hell do you want, Shatter? And where's me sistah?!" Spot yelled, fighting against the newsies holding him.

"Ya wanna see yer sistah?"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU LOUSY SON-OF-A…"

"Ah, ah, ah, Spotty. There's no need for such language!" Shatter mocked.

"Just shut the hell up and let us see Starlight, Shatter." Ryder said heatedly.

"Alright. Heah she is." Shatter then whistled again and the door opened. Two newsies walked in, carrying a limp body between them.

"Starlight!!!!!!" Spot bucked wildly, fighting with everything he had to get to his sister.

Ryder and Jack were doing the same, Ryder's green eyes shining wildly with a fire that no one had ever seen.

"What the hell did you do ta' her?!" Ryder yelled.

Shatter signaled to a few of his boys and each leader now had four boys holding them back. The two newsies carrying Starlight threw her body to the floor. Shatter walked towards her and pulled her head up by her hair. Spot could now see that his sister was still alive. Her eyes were open, tears freely flowing from them.

"We just had a little fun wit' 'er is all," Shatter smiled innocently, "Now, down to business, Spot. We'll fight in three days. Meet me at the territory border. And bring all the help you can get, you'll need it. Until then, however, this beauty stays with me." Shatter pulled up Starlight by the rope holding her hands behind her back. He ran a finger down her cheek, smiling.

"Get yer hands off me." Starlight said angrily.

Before anyone could do anything, Shatter backhanded her so hard that she fell back down to the floor.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Ryder yelled. He almost away from the hands holding him back, he was so angry.

"Ah! I see our lovely leader from Harlem has a thing for this pathetic whore." Shatter laughed.

Starlight looked up from the floor, confused.

"Well then, what would you say if I did this?" Shatter roughly picked up Starlight off the ground and proceeded to pull her towards him, claiming her lips in a possessive kiss. Starlight tried to wriggle away but it was no use, he was too strong.

"Damnit, Shatter! Get the fuck off her! I'll kill ya!"

Shatter simply laughed and snapped his fingers. At his command, the two newsies who had carried Starlight in grabbed her again. They began to lead her past all the newsies and out the door. Starlight stared at Spot, Ryder, and Jack, her eyes pleading with them to help her.

She uttered a simple "Help me" before they lead her out of the room.

"Alright Spotty. We'll be seeing you soon. I'll come by tomorrow to make sure you plan to hold up to your part of the bargain. Oh, and Ryder, I'll be sure to have fun bedding your little girlfriend tonight."

"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Spot yelled.

"IF YA SO MUCH AS LAY A FINGER ON HER, I'LL KILL YA!" Ryder yelled.

"WE'LL GET YA, I PROMISE YA THAT!" Jack yelled.

Shatter snapped his fingers and all the Harlem newsies filed out of the room, leaving all the others with looks of confusion, terror, and anger on their faces. They all looked at Spot, as if asking whether or not they should go after them. Spot simply shook his head and sat down on the table. Ryder proceeded to punch the wall in anger.

Jack walked over to Spot.

"We'll get 'er back. I promise."

Spot looked up at him, tears shining in his eyes. But…Spot never cried. _Never_. He was losing hope.


	4. We'll get 'er back, Spot

I'm sooooo sorry I haven't updated in a while. My computer had to be completely rebooted so I lost all of my word documents and I haven't had time to retype the new chapters yet. Sorry! On with the story!

Starlight kept her head down as she was roughly dragged through Brooklyn. She could feel all the eyes staring at her. She was furious that she had allowed herself to utter those idiotic words: "help me". She was from Brooklyn, damnit! And Brooklyners knew how to fight for themselves. She felt weak. But she was smart enough to let them simply lead her along. She knew this was a fight she could never win alone. Which was precisely why she hoped that Spot and Ryder would save her soon.

"Starlight," She heard the whispered word.

She looked up to see who had spoken. She was met with thousands of faces, thousands of expressions. She saw that the Brooklyn and Manhattan newsies had figured out exactly what had happened. The Manhattaners all held expressions of sadness but were mostly too preoccupied with keeping the Brooklyn newsies from attacking Harlem. Every Brooklyn face held an expression of pure loathing. Most were being held back but some were smart enough to know that the odds were against them.

Star looked and saw that the voice was Ire. Ire hadn't joined the meeting because she was convinced it wasn't necessary for her to be there. She was now standing with Blink, his arm wrapped around her waist. She held a look of sheer terror, tears trickling down her face.

"I…I'll be fine, Ire." Star stuttered, but the look on Ire's face stated that she knew Star was lying.

The Harlem newsies who held Starlight quickly dragged her past Ire so that Star could only hear Ire sobbing into Blink's shoulder. Star located many familiar faces from Manhattan: Race, Mush, Skittery. They had all stayed outside with their friends from Brooklyn. It was evident now that they wished they had been inside the Lodging House because they believed they could've done something.

Racetrack then tried to lunge at the nearest Harlem newsie but Mush held him back. He began yelling swears in both Italian and English until Starlight locked eyes with him and shook her head. She knew that they would hurt Race if he continued his ranting so she silenced him.

They finally reached the border between Brooklyn and Harlem. Star took one look back over her shoulder, back at the life she knew, back at the friends and people she loved. She had no idea whether or not she would see any of them ever again. A single tear rolled down at her face at the thought of never seeing her beloved brother again.

_In Brooklyn_

Spot was still sitting on the table, tears silently running down his face. The expression on his face was one of hollow sadness, as if he'd already lost everything that meant to him in the world. Jack was sitting trying to think of a plan while Ryder was pacing back in forth in silent fury.

"Ryder, will ya stop pacin' already? Yer makin' me dizzy." He said. He was about to continue when Ryder shot him a look that said "if ya don't shut yer trap, I'll smack ya upside da head." So he stayed silent.

Ire then burst through the door, followed by Blink, Melody, Racetrack, Mush, Skittery, and Boots.

"Wh…wh…what happened?" Ire whispered, her voice barely audible.

Spot then got up and pulled Ire into a hug, letting her cry into his shoulder. Blink watched, feeling slightly awkward, but understanding the brother-sister relationship Spot and Ire had.

"So what'r we gonna do?" Race asked finally, after a few tortured minutes of silence, "We got a plan?"

"We're workin' on it," Jack told him. Ryder simply continued pacing as if he didn't notice any change in the atmosphere of the room.

"Well what exactly does Harlem want?" Mush finally got the courage up to ask.

"Those mother fucking sons-of…" Ryder yelled and was about to continue when he finally realized that little Melody was in the room, crying, and looking at him with a look of sheer terror. He slowly walked over to her and gently knelt down in front of her.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. I didn't mean ta scare you." Melody calmed down a bit but still looked scared until Ryder pulled her close and she stopped crying. He wiped the tears from her face and picked her up, bringing her over and setting her down on the edge of the table.

The other newsies looked on in shock. Ryder rarely showed this side of his personality and this was the first time they had seen him be this gentle. He patted Melody on the head and she giggled. He then walked back over to the others.

"What the hell is everybody starin' at? Racetrack, close yer mouth before it stays like that permanently." Racetrack silently closed his mouth, his eyes still wide.

"Anyways, Harlem wants us ta give up Brooklyn but we ain't gonna do that, are we?" They all shook their heads. Spot had finally calmed down enough to allow Blink to comfort Ire and actually lead the conversation.

"Weah gonna get my sistah back. But we gotta fight foah 'er." He said, gripping the cane in his hand, "the fight is in three days but Shattah is gonna come heah tomorrah to figure out da details. Jacky-boy?"

Jack looked up, "Yeah, Spotty?"

"Do ya mind if yer newsies stay heah ovanight? Den youz can be heah tomorrow when Shattah comes."

"Awright Spotty. Race?"

"Yeah, Jack?"

"Go and tell the othahs to get back to the lodging house. You, Me, Mush, Blink, and Skitts are gonna stay heah but the udders gotta go home."

"Awright, Jacky-Boy."

Race then went out to deliver the plan to the others. Spot went back over to the table and leaned over it, breathing heavily. He then felt a small hand on his shoulder and he looked up.

"Weah gonna get Starlight back, Spot. Calm down, we'll get 'er back." Melody whispered in his ear. He hugged the little girl close to his chest.

"Yeah we will, Mel, you bet we will."

I hope that made up for another annoying absence. Sorry again!


	5. Danger

I've decided that I officially suck at updating. Sorry! But I promise this chapter will be nice and long! But I'm warning you that there is slight mention of rape in this chapter so if you're weary of things like that, I don't recommend reading the ending.

With Starlight

They finally reached the Harlem lodging house. That was when Starlight realized how dangerous the situation had become. The Harlem newsies must have had a ton of money. Their lodging house was a beautiful three-story brick building. If they had this much money for their lodging house, who knew how much they had to spend on weapons or bribes. The Manhattan and Brooklyn newsies had a small amount of money to use for things like that. Most of their money simply went towards their survival in the harsh world of New York. They couldn't afford a nice lodging house or any other necessities.

All Harlem had to do was bribe a few people and they would become the most powerful newsies in all of New York. And it looked like they were doing just that. When Starlight looked up at the lodging house, the first thing she saw was a young boy around twelve years old with sandy blonde hair standing next to a group of Harlem newsies.

"Slider?!" Starlight whispered, confusion etched in her voice. She looked forward in horror as one of the larger newsies handed the young boy a bundle of money. Slider turned and looked towards her, a smile on his face, and then took off, back towards Brooklyn.

Shatter laughed and then explained to her, "Yes, my dear, your little friend Slider is a spy. He's been around Brooklyn for around a year or so, helping us figure out the right time to move in and take over. He's been a very big help. He even helped lead you into that lovely little trap."

"But…Melody?" Starlight was praying that the little girl had nothing to do with this scheme.

"She had nothing to do with it. She simply stumbled upon us planning with Slider and we decided to teach her a lesson. And that would be a much better way to get you to follow the boy into our trap. We had no intention of hurting her in the beginning. But…things change." He smiled wickedly.

"You bastard!" Starlight began to struggle violently against Shatter, desperately trying to wiggle her way out of his grasp. But it was no use. Shatter was too strong.

"There's no need for such language here, sweetheart."

"Don't you dare call me that! I'm not your sweetheart or anything else to you for that matter."

"Oh yes, you probably only let that _Ryder_ character use those words with you. You are, after all, his girlfriend, am I correct?" Shatter spat out Ryder's name with such malice that Starlight flinched.

"N…No. I'm not." She blushed at the question.

"Well, he clearly wishes it so. Oh well, better for me!" Shatter then dragged Starlight up the front stairs, all the while yelling to his newsies to get weapons ready and make him dinner. He proceeded to drag her up the stairs to the third floor of the house. It appeared that Shatter, much like Spot, had his own room. But his room encompassed the entire upper floor. It occurred to Starlight that they would be alone up here. No one could come help her or hear her scream. She began to shake and struggle again.

Shatter simply turned her towards him and slapped her across the face. The blow knocked her onto the bed and he climbed on top of her.

"No…No…NO!" Starlight began to scream as Shatter's hands roamed across her body and snaked their way up her shirt. "GET OFF ME." She kneed him in the groin and he stopped. She used all the strength she had to push his body off her and get up. She ran to the door and tried to open it but it was locked. She twisted the lock and banged the door open, rushing down the stairs. She heard yells behind her but 

never stopping running. She got to the front door and pushed it open, running back towards Brooklyn, towards safety.

She ran, her feet pounding the pavement, until the Brooklyn Bridge was in sight. She looked back to make sure no one was following her. The streets were completely deserted. She smiled, full of false hope, and ran smack into someone. She looked up, expecting Spot or Jack or…Ryder. But instead, she was met with the one face she never wanted to see again.

Shatter grabbed her around the waist and she began to struggle. She had been so close! Shatter began to get tired of all her resisting and threw her to the ground. Starlight's head banged against the pavement, causing her to drift into unconsciousness. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, heading back towards Harlem, muttering to himself about how difficult women can be.

In Brooklyn

The newsies had been struggling to put together a plan for the past few hours. It had finally been decided that they would have to wait for the next afternoon and see what Shatter had planned. It was most likely that they would just have to fight for her, no sneak attacks, no battle plans, just pure fighting.

Spot and Ryder were both out of their minds with worry. Well, Ryder was much angrier. He was still pacing and it was driving everyone insane. Ire ended up having to put her hands on his shoulders and guide him over to a chair, sitting him down so he would stop. But eventually, he ended up getting up and going back to his pacing. Ire gave up and she and Blink went to bed.

Spot was sitting by the window, staring out over the docks. The sun was setting and the water was sparkling. But instead of giving him joy, the scenery only made him miss Starlight more. He had never realized how much he needed her until now. He always had some girlfriend around but, no matter what, 

they would never mean as much to him as his sister did. And that was usually the end of his relationships. The girl would get jealous and leave him. But he didn't really care. As long as he still had Starlight, his other half, he knew he would be fine.

This was absolutely killing him. Jack had tried a thousand times to distract him or calm him down but it never worked. Jack eventually gave up and he and the other newsies went to bed. Soon the only ones left in the room were Spot, Ryder, and little Melody. Melody had fallen asleep on top of the desk without anyone noticing. Ryder finally saw her and gathered her into his arms. Melody woke up and rubbed her eyes, yawning.

"I'm just taking you to your room, sweetie," Ryder whispered.

"I don't want to sleep." Melody became stubborn.

"Why not?" Ryder said after shushing her, not wanting to disturb Spot.

"Cuz I'm scared…" Melody whispered, her eyes wide.

"And why is that?"

"There's a monster under my bed. Every night Starlight used to come into my room and scare it away for me but she's the only one who could do that." Ryder felt a small pang of sadness in his heart when he heard this, realizing how much he really missed Starlight.

"Well then I've got a better idea." Ryder walked towards window seat looking out over Brooklyn Bridge and set Melody down. He brought over a small pillow and blanket and tucked her in. He kissed her on the forehead and said, "Well, there's no way a monster could hide under here. And me and Spot are in here to protect you. Don't worry, we'll keep you safe."

Melody smiled, snuggled her teddy bear, and whispered, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, little one."

Spot watched this entire situation from his seat by the window, smiling a bit. He had always been leery about Ryder's feelings towards his sister but he was slowly changing his mind. Now they just had to get his sister back and everything would be okay.

If only it were that easy…

With Starlight

Starlight woke up to find herself in Shatter's bed. Thankfully, she was fully clothed. But her head hurt like a bitch and she was extremely dizzy. It took a few minutes before she remembered what had happened. When she did, she shot up in bed, terrified. She whipped her head around and found Shatter sitting in a chair by the window, staring maliciously at her. She immediately moved towards the other side of the bed, as far away from him as possible. She knew that, when Shatter was mad, she didn't have a chance.

Shatter stalked towards her, reaching over and grabbing her by the hair.

"It's time to teach you a lesson, my pretty. DO. NOT. DEFY. ME." He punctuated each word with a slap to her face. By the time he was finished, her face had a large red hand mark and she had tears streaming down her face. He threw her back onto the bed and climbed on top of her.

"No…No…Please. Please don't do this, Shatter." Starlight continued to cry and struggle against him.

"Oh, so now we've resorted to begging, have we?" he laughed a little but then pulled her closer towards him, whispering in her hear, "Just know that you brought this upon yourself sweetheart. So try to have a little fun with me." He grinned and grabbed her face, pulling her towards him in a kiss. She continued to struggle but he slammed her head against the wall, dazing her. She became subdued and he quickly took 

advantage of this. His hands rapidly tore through the buttons on the front of her shirt and he pulled it off.

Starlight was slowly coming out of her haze and began reacting again. She began to fight against him but Shatter grabbed a handkerchief from the bedside table and began to tie her wrist to one side of the bed, repeating the action with the other. Starlight tried to scream but he grabbed another handkerchief and tied it over her mouth. Tears continued to pour down her face and her screams became muffled by the rag.

Shatter's hands began to roam her body and swiftly worked open the back of her bra. Starlight began to give up. She could never fight him, especially tied down like she was. She decided instead to fill her mind with memories of happier times with Spot and the other newsies. Often, her mind drifted to Ryder, and she found herself wishing she was safe in his arms, instead of helpless at the hands of this man she barely knew. Shatter was working on the buttons on her pants and she tried to kick him, but he used his knees to stop her from doing so. She tried to concentrate on Spot and Ryder but suddenly she felt the most pain she had ever felt in her entire life. It was worse than the beatings her father used to give her at night. She couldn't get her mind off of it and soon passed out from all the pain.

The last word she whispered before she drifted into unconsciousness was "Ryder."

I really hope that made up for everything. Sorry about taking so long to update! Read and review please!


	6. Blade

Starlight woke up with the worst headache in the world. She felt dizzy and couldn't lift herself up out of bed. Of course, then she realized that her wrists were still tied to the bedposts.

She let out a cry of frustration but then heard the door open. She visibly shrunk back, thinking it was Shatter. But thankfully, it wasn't. The newsie who walked in looked to be around Star's age. He was thin but muscular, with sandy blonde hair that hung to the nape of his neck and sparkling blue eyes.

Starlight became embarrassed, realizing that her clothing was completely torn off and strewn across the bed.

"I…I'm sorry," the boy stammered, "I'se…supposed to help youse. I jus'…I." he couldn't even finish the sentence.

"It's alright, just untie me, please." Star told him. She was still embarrassed but just wanted to get off that bed.

The boy walked over and began to untie her, careful not to stare at her body and make her feel any more uncomfortable. When she was untied, he began to unbutton his shirt. Star immediately scampered back towards the pillows, thinking he was going to hurt her like Shatter had.

"Woah, calm down. I won't hurt yah. I jus' figured you'd need this," he handed her the shirt, "cuz the washroom is down the hall and well…the rest of dem are out selling papers but jus' in case…"

She understood, and nodded to show her appreciation. She pulled the shirt on and stood up. The shirt covered her body and ended just above the knee. When she was done buttoning it, the boy held out his hand.

"I'se Blade." She shook his hand.

"Starlight."

"And the reason I'se called Blade is…well…" he pulled out a pocket knife and flicked it open, "But I'se never even used it. I'se had it since I was a kid. It was my dad's."

He closed the blade and put it back into his pocket. He held out his hand again, motioning for her to take it. She did and he pulled her through the doorway and out into the hall. He led her into another room, the washroom. He grabbed a towel out of the cabinet and gave it to her.

"I'll be right outside. And I promise not to let anyone in, unless…well, if it's Shatter…"  
"You have to let him in, right?" She whispered. He nodded solemnly then went out the door, shutting it behind him.

Starlight let out a deep breath. She just stood there for a few minutes, thinking about her situation. There was no point in escape, it would never work. She had learned her lesson the first time. She would just have to be strong. Only a few more days…

She threw the shirt and towel on a nearby chair and stepped into the shower, letting the hot water rush over her bruised and battered body. It hurt a bit to feel the water pressure on her bruises but after a while, the pain subsided. She scrubbed thoroughly, trying to get the feeling of Shatter off of her body. Once she was as clean as she could possibly get, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around herself. She looked into the mirror at her reflection and shuddered. She hated to see herself so weak and vulnerable.

She noticed that Blade had left a hairbrush on the counter so she ran it through her hair, straightening out the tangles. She heard the door creak open and thought it was just Blade checking on her.

It wasn't.

Shatter walked in and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her body close to his. She tried to wriggle away but his grip was too strong. His hands roamed her body and tried to sneak under the towel 

but she finally pushed him away. He became angry at this and threw her up against the wall. He held her there with his own body, one of his hands encircling her wrists and keeping them above her head.

"I get ta go see yer brother today. Oh! And yer friend Ryder. I'm sure you'd like to come with me to see dem, but after that little reaction, I think I'll just lock youse in yer room for the day. And den, in a few days, when you finally get to see them, they'll be dyin'. Right. Before. Your. Eyes."

Starlight shuddered as Shatter ran a finger down her cheek.

"And den, I'll get to keep you forever. You'll be my little love slave. And I'll be the leader of the biggest boroughs in all of New York. So what do yah say we have a little fun before I leave?"

He grinned and began to touch her, running his hand up her leg and trying to unwrap her towel. She tried her hardest to get away but she couldn't fight him. Before he could get too far, however, someone knocked on the door.

"What?!" Shatter barked.

"It's almost four o'clock. Youse supposed to meet Conlon soon. And Killer and Lighter are ready to go."

"Alright, I'se coming, I'se coming," he yelled, "See yah later, sweetheart."

He let go of her, but not before slamming her head against the wall behind her. She let out a small yelp of pain before sliding to the ground. Shatter opened the door and Star heard him whispering to someone before walking down the stairs and out the front door.

Starlight looked up to see Blade's face inches from hers. He moved his hand to the spot where Star's head came in contact with the wall and she flinched as he touched it.

"Sorry, I jus' have to see how bad it is," he said, concerned, "and I 'pologize for not being able to come earlier. I had to let Shatter in and he told me to go give some messages to some people. I came back as fast as I could but…"

"No, it was perfect timing." Star said, smiling sadly. Blade helped her up and led her down the hallway, back to her room. He told her he'd be right back and he returned with some of his clothing. He set it down on the bed.

"I know it's not your stuff but youse gotta wear somethin'." He said.

She laughed a bit and thanked him.

"I'll leave you to change in peace. I'll be back in a few minutes. And I promise I'll knock on the door 'fore I enter."

He closed the door behind him and Star examined the clothes. He had left her a pair of long, baggy pants, a navy blue striped button down shirt, and a vest. Star still had her own hat, which had been thrown onto the dresser the previous night. She had just finished getting dressed when she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." she said. Blade stepped in and laughed a bit when he saw her.

"What?" she asked immediately.

"I'se sorry, it's just that my clothing looks so funny on you. It's huge!"

"Well, I'se sorry fer being an extremely short girl. Of course I look like an idiot!" He just grinned at her as she stood there pouting. She sat down on the bed and motioned for him to join her.

"So, tell me about yourself, Blade."

In Brooklyn

Spot was pacing. Again.

It was exactly four o'clock, the time Shatter said he would meet him. Spot was standing at the docks with Ryder and Jack. The others were much calmer than Spot but they all held the same worried expression.

They all heard the footsteps as they walked across the creaky old wooden dock. Spot looked up to see Shatter walking towards him, two of his boys following behind them.

"Hey, Spotty. Jus' here to remind you about our little deal. Two days from now. At the territory border. We fight for your precious sister and your precious territory."

Spot simply nodded, glaring at his enemy.

"Oh, and Ryder," Shatter said, turning to the raven-haired boy, "Your girlfriend's great in bed." He winked and walked past him.

Ryder jumped up and tried to lunge for Shatter but was held back by Jack and Spot.

"IF YOU LAY ANOTHER HAND ON HER, I SWEAR I'LL KILL YAH! I'LL KILL YAH!"

Sorry about how it took forever for me to update. I was in Maine without a laptop for a few weeks. Review please!


	7. His Name is Ryder

"So, tell me about yourself, Blade."

"Well, I was born in the Bronx but I came here after my parents died. I never liked Shatter much, but I needed a place to live, so I decided to stay here. But I refuse to do Shatter's bidding like all the other newsies, and he understands that. I refuse to kill or hurt people for him. I could never do that."

He looked down at his hands for a few minutes before Starlight put her hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her and smiled sadly.

"I understand, don't worry about it. You have more courage than all these boys combined. It takes a lot to stand up to someone like Shatter."

"Well that's what you did." He whispered.

"But, I gave in. I should've kept fighting. I never should have let him…"

She couldn't hold it in anymore. Everything Starlight had felt in the past few hours just washed over her and she broke down completely, sobbing. From Melody getting hurt to being attacked by Shatter to seeing Spot's face as she was led away, it all came back. Blade held her as she cried, whispering in her ear and brushing back the hair from her face.

"Shhh…it's not your fault, none of it is. No one should ever have to fight like you have. No one ever deserves to be hurt like he hurt you. No one deserves any of this, especially not you. It'll all be okay in the end, I'll make sure of that. Don't worry."

Star eventually stopped crying and just laid there in his arms, steadying her breathing.

"Shhh…that's it, just take deep breaths."

She finally sat up and wiped the tears off her face.

"Thank you, Blade, really. You've been such a help to me."

Blade sat up and wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest.

Just then, they heard the door slam downstairs and footsteps walking up the staircase. Blade immediately stood up before mouthing "I'm sorry".

Shatter threw open the door and barged into the room.

"Blade, what are you doing in here?"

"I was just giving her some clothing to wear."

"Well it won't be on her long," Shatter said with a devilish grin. Star immediately backed up on the bed, moving closer to the headboard.

"Well, actually Shatter, I was thinking that I might ask you if I could…I dunno…have some fun with the girl tonight?" He said, smiling.

Star immediately grew even more frightened. She trusted Blade. What was going on?

"You know I don't usually like sharing my prizes, Blade, but…she does seem so scared of you. Maybe you could break her spirit. Besides, I think I'll spend the night in the city, find a girl who will actually voluntarily come home with me," he glared at Starlight, "I'm leaving soon so you can have your fun then. Leave her alone now, so she can grow more frightened." He grinned again and beckoned Blade to follow him. Blade didn't even look back at her.

Starlight began to cry again. She hated being so weak but she was terrified. She thought Blade was on her side! What had just happened?! She was so overwhelmed and confused that she flopped down on the bed and buried her head into the pillow, sobbing.

About an hour later, Blade returned and immediately sat down beside her on the bed but she scurried away from him.

"Get away from me. Don't you dare touch me," she backed up against the wall.

"Starlight, will you please calm down? I promise I won't do anything. I just had to pretend so that he would leave and I could protect you from him tonight. Please don't be upset."

"You promise?"

"I promise?" He smiled at her and it was so genuine that she just had to believe him. She walked over to the bed and sat down next to him.

"So, you never got to tell me about yourself." He said.

"Well…I live in Brooklyn with my brother, Spot. We grew up in this big townhouse with our parents until the fire. They were both killed and we were sent to live with our uncle. Spot ran away because our uncle became abusive and he promised he'd come back to me. But by the time he came back, I had given up on him and gotten my uncle arrested. So I went to Queens to find a place to stay. Well, long story short, I ended up finding Spot and we reunited again. So now I live with him and I'm the leader of the Brooklyn girls."

"Very impressive," Blade said, smiling, "Yah got a boyfriend?"

Star was a little taken aback by the question but answered honestly.

"Yes. Yes I do. His name is Ryder."

WOOT!! Starlight finally declares her love for Ryder!! Sorry for such a short chapter but I figured it was better than nothing. Hopefully I'll update soon. I just needed a few filler chapters before the action 

starts up again. Review please! And I need to ask you all a very serious question: Who would you like to see Starlight end up with: Ryder or Blade? I will make the ultimate decision but I just wanted to see what you guys think about it. Thank you!!


	8. Author's Note sorry!

Gah. I'm so sorry everyone. I know it's been WAY too long since I updated. I've just been really busy with school and everything. I'll try my hardest to update ASAP but it may take a little while. Please be patient with me. And I really hope you don't hate me!!!!!

-lilnewsie77


	9. Damsel in Distress

Hi everyone. I am SO sorry for not updating in so long. I've just had a really busy summer with work and volunteering so I haven't had much time to think, let alone write a chapter. Thank you for the reviews though. Here's the next chapter!

"Oh…" Blade seemed a bit taken aback but kept his composure.

"Yeah. I've known him for a while but…I may be in love with him. I'm just not sure right now. My life's been a little hectic, yah know?" she said, smiling slightly. He returned the gesture but something in his eyes had changed.

"Well…I just hope he treats you like a princess cuz that's how yah deserve to be treated."

Starlight blushed a bit at that. "Thank you, Blade. Thanks for everything."

"No worries. It's kind of my job. Be the guy that helps the damsel in distress but doesn't get the girl in the end. Actually, in some stories, my character dies," he said, a look of pure thought on his face.

"Blade! Don't say that, please. You won't die. You're my other night in shining armor!"

"So I'm the sidekick of sorts," He said, still completely serious.

"Blade, you could be the leading man. Just not for me. You'll find some other damsel to save, I promise," she said before giving him a light kiss on the cheek.

"Yes," Blade muttered under his breath, "but she'll never mean as much to me as you do."

Back in Brooklyn

"That bastard," Spot continuously said as he paced back and forth inside Tibby's.

"Spot, yer makin' my head spin with all this pacin' you've been doin' lately," Jack said, his eyes following Spot's every move.

Ryder finally got up out of his chair, which he had been sitting in, brooding, for the past hour, and put his hands on Spot's shoulders. He steered him towards one of the seats and forced him to sit.

"Alright, boys. We need a plan," Ryder said, with his hands still on the back of Spot's chair.

"So in two days time, we need to be ready to fight to the death. I mean it, everyone. No backing down. You fight til yah ain't got any fight in yah," Jack said, directing his words mostly to his own newsies.

"Spot, yer boys have sling shots, right?" Ryder asked.

"Yep. Sling shots, clubs, and a couple chains," Spot replied, staring straight forward.

"I think we're ready, boys," Ryder said, "Now if anyone wants to back down now, yah can. But aftah this, you can never back down. If yah do, yah might as well go live in Harlem for all we care."

All the boys nodded. Not a single one got up to leave. They would all fight side-by-side. Starlight meant the world to them. And they were going to get her back. No matter what the cost.

I'm sorry it's so short but this means I'll probably update sooner cuz I'm leaving you all with so little to work with. Please read and review and try not to kill me!


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